Which versions of requests-lite are malicious?

The following PyPI versions of requests-lite are flagged malicious: 2.32.3, 2.32.4, 2.32.5, 2.32.7. Treat any of these as compromised.

How do I remediate requests-lite if I installed it?

requests-lite is built to steal secrets, so assume every credential the build or runtime could read is compromised. Remove it from your project and lockfile, then rotate ALL exposed secrets — npm/registry tokens, cloud keys, CI/CD secrets, SSH keys, and any .env values — from a known-clean machine. Audit logs for unauthorized use of those credentials.

I already installed requests-lite — how do I know if it already compromised me?

If requests-lite was installed, its post-install payload may already have run. Removing the package does not undo that — check outbound connections and credential use from the install window onward.

Is requests-lite part of a known attack campaign?

Yes — requests-lite is associated with the 2026-03-old-requests-lite campaign. Packages in the same campaign often share infrastructure and payloads, so check whether any related packages are also in your dependency tree.

How do I find requests-lite across my projects, lockfiles, and CI pipelines?

Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for requests-lite (4 malicious versions).

Malicious package

requests-litePyPI

Advisory published Mar 9, 2026Updated Mar 9, 2026

requests-lite is a confirmed malicious PyPI package (MAL-2026-1291) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious versions 2.32.3, 2.32.4, 2.32.5…). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in requests-lite (PyPI)

MAL-2026-1291

Immediate action

Remove the package, then rotate any secrets the build/runtime could reach.

pip uninstall requests-lite

What this malware does

Clone of a legitimate requests library. The hidden code runs when using the requests functionality and starts a Telegram bot awaiting for remote commands.

Category: MALICIOUS - The campaign has clearly malicious intent, like infostealers.

Campaign: 2026-03-old-requests-lite

Reasons (based on the campaign):

clones-real-package
action-hidden-in-lib-usage
The package contains code to execute remote commands (probably limited to a specific set) on the victim's machine.
rat
abusing-3rd-api

Malicious versions

4 flagged

2.32.32.32.42.32.52.32.7

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

d343c918303c251cdef262a6e1cbdff6ae797cf56115a81cfa5449732395b63b

Detection & response playbook

Credential / info stealer

Find it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for requests-lite (4 malicious versions).
If you installed it — respond
requests-lite is built to steal secrets, so assume every credential the build or runtime could read is compromised. Remove it from your project and lockfile, then rotate ALL exposed secrets — npm/registry tokens, cloud keys, CI/CD secrets, SSH keys, and any .env values — from a known-clean machine. Audit logs for unauthorized use of those credentials.
Did it already run?
If requests-lite was installed, its post-install payload may already have run. Removing the package does not undo that — check outbound connections and credential use from the install window onward.

Frequently asked questions

No. requests-lite on PyPI has been identified as a malicious package (versions 2.32.3, 2.32.4, 2.32.5, 2.32.7 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

2026-03-old-requests-lite

References

bad-packages.kam193.eu

Credits

Kamil Mańkowski (kam193) · reporter

Detect & block this

O3 blocks requests-lite-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.

Malware detection Runtime egress monitoring

Explore

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